1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an identification photo system and an image processing method. More particularly, this invention relates to an identification photo system that automatically corrects brightness of an image and adjusts colors and densities of the image and an image processing method.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-67301 discloses a photo taking apparatus that has a head size measuring part and a head position determining part in a shooting room. The photo taking apparatus warns with a buzzer if the head of a person is not at a predetermined position for an identification photo, and it turns on a lamp when the head of the person is at the predetermined position. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-154736 discloses an identification photo taking apparatus that prints an image selected from sequentially-captured images as an identification photo.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-8820 discloses a digital identification photo system that displays an indicator formed according to the position and size of a head with an animation. The user takes an identification photo by setting the indicator with the head. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 7-303250 discloses an identification photo taking apparatus that finds the difference between the size of a person area in a captured image and a predetermined size and enlarges or reduces the image until the difference becomes smaller than a threshold.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-233179 discloses an identification photo taking apparatus with a sensor that determines whether or not a person is at a shooting position. The identification photo taking apparatus adjusts diaphragm and color balance when the person is not at the shooting position, and it performs a shooting when the person is at the shooting position.
In the apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 6-67301, 7-154736, 11-8820 and 7-303250, the position of the person is adjusted according to the type of the identification photo, and the position and size of the person in the image are adjusted, and the best image is selected. However, the quality of the identification photo is low.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 6-233179 adjusts the diaphragm and the color balance to adjust illumination and exposure without the person. The exposure (diaphragm, shutter speed and color balance) needs to be set or adjusted with the illumination being fixed.